COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 25 ranked and seventh seeded University of Missouri volleyball team (22-8) treks to Pittsburgh this week to face No. 11 ranked and third seeded Kentucky (22-7) Thursday in the Regional Semifinals of the 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.
First serve is set for noon, CT on Thursday from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The match will be broadcast on ESPN2 and feature Anne Marie Anderson, Nicole Branagh and Michella Chester on the broadcast.
With a victory over third seeded Kentucky, Mizzou would face the winner of No. 1 ranked and top seeded Pitt and No. 14 ranked and fourth seeded Oregon Saturday at 4 p.m., CT.
Missouri is competing in its 19th NCAA Tournament in program history. The Tigers have advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fifth time and first time since 2017.
MU is ranked in the top-25 for the fifth-straight week this season. The Tigers previously received votes four times this season (preseason, Sept. 2, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4) before breaching the top-25 on Nov. 11.
Mizzou is currently ranked 23rd in RPI (Rating Percentage Index), heading into the Tournament (fourth highest SEC school).
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Missouri is competing in its 19th NCAA Tournament in program history and second-straight Tournament.
• Mizzou is 20-18 in program history at the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to the Second Round or further in nine-straight Tournament appearances dating back to 2013.
• Mizzou is competing in the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fifth time in program history and first time since 2017. MU also advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2005, 2010 and 2016.
• In 2017, Mizzou faced top seeded Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 8, falling 3-0.
• In 2016, the Tigers fell to second seeded Minnesota in Minneapolis, 3-1, on Dec. 9.
• In 2010, Mizzou dropped a four-set decision to Duke in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 10.
• Mizzou advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2005, its only time in program history, beating Hawaii, 3-1, on Dec. 9 in University Park, Pennsylvania. Mizzou then took on Tennessee in the Elite Eight, falling, 3-1, on Dec. 10.
• Missouri has competed in Pennsylvania in three prior NCAA Tournaments, all at Penn State. The Tigers are 1-3 in Pennsylvania during NCAA postseason play.
NCAA TOURNAMENT EXPERIENCE
• Transfers Mychael Vernon (2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year, 2023 All-Pac-12 at Oregon State), Regan Haith (2022 All-Missouri Valley Conference Freshman Team at Illinois State) and Kiaraliz Perez Catala (2023 WAC Libero of the Year at UTRGV) all made their NCAA Tournament debuts in Dallas.
• 2024 All-SEC Setter Marina Crownover helped Texas capture a pair of National Championships in 2022 and 2023. She competed in her first career NCAA Tournament match in her home state of Texas.
• The 2024 roster features 11 players from Mizzou’s 2023 NCAA Tournament team. Ahead of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, 13 Tigers on this year’s roster had NCAA Tournament experience.
SERIES HISTORY
• Missouri and Kentucky will face off for the third time this season Thursday in the Third Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• Kentucky leads the all-time series against Missouri, 17-5, including a 2-0 mark this season. MU grabbed a set on the 2024 SEC Champions Nov. 27 in Columbia (3-1 Kentucky win).
• Missouri holds a 2-1 edge in the all-time series against Pitt. The two teams last faced in 2016, a 3-1 Mizzou win in Kennesaw, Georgia, on Aug. 27.
• Oregon leads the series with MU, 2-0. The two teams last faced in 1998 (Sept. 12), a 3-1 win for the Ducks in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
MIZZOU VOLLEYBALL
• The Tigers have surpassed their SEC (9) and overall win (18) totals from 2023, when Dawn Sullivan was named SEC Coach of the Year.
• Mizzou has registered 22 overall wins and 10-plus SEC wins in a season for the first time since 2019. MU finished tied for third in the SEC this season.
• Missouri last had over 22 wins in the 2018 campaign, tallying a 24-8 mark.
• The Tigers rank first overall in the SEC for assists per set (13.70, second in NCAA) and kills per set (14.53, fifth in NCAA). Mizzou is also first in the SEC for assists (1,562) and kills (1,656). MU is also second in the conference for hitting percentage (.287, 12th in NCAA) and aces (196, 1.72 aces per set, fourth in SEC).
• In league action, Mizzou ranked first in the SEC for assists (13.43 assists/set, 873) and kills (14.28 kills/set, 928) while ranking fourth in digs (14.83 digs/set, 964) and fifth for aces (1.46 aces/set, 95).
150 CAREER WINS
• Head coach Dawn Sullivan is one win away from 150 career wins.
• She is 149-59 (.716) over her seven-year coaching career.
• In her second season at Mizzou, Sullivan holds a 40-21 mark.
• Prior to MU, she compiled a 109-38 record at the helm of UNLV.
PENNSYLVANIA TIGERS
• Senior setter Sarah White returns to her home state of Pennsylvania this week for the 2024 NCAA Championship. The Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania (25 minutes north of Pittsburgh), native, started her collegiate career at Ohio State before transferring to Mizzou for her final two seasons. She played club volleyball with Pittsburgh Elite.
• Both Colleen Finney and Naomi Franco have played at Pittsburgh in their collegiate careers after transferring to Mizzou from ACC institutions (Clemson and Syracuse). Franco had eight kills and two blocks with Syracuse on Nov. 11, 2022, in the matchup at Fitzgerald Field House. Finney posted five kills and a dig with Clemson on Oct. 8, 2021, also at Fitzgerald Field House.
2024 NCAA OPENING ROUNDS IN DALLAS RECAP
• Seventh seeded Missouri picked up wins over Texas State and second seeded SMU to open the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Texas, and advance to the Sweet 16.
• Mychael Vernon paced the Tigers over her first two career NCAA Tournament matches, notching 20 (.313) and 23 (.308). Her 23 kills vs. SMU ranks tied for fifth in Mizzou history for an NCAA Tournament match. Prior to Vernon, Mizzou last had a player notch 20 or more kills in an NCAA Tournament match in 2016 when Carly Kan had 20 (Dec. 9, 2016, vs. #2 Minnesota).
• Jordan Iliff added 11 kills (.348) and 16 kills in each of the opening round matches. Her 16 kills vs. SMU are a personal-best in NCAA Tournament play. She also registered her 15th double-double of the season (40th all-time in Mizzou’s NCAA Tournament history) with 10 digs, four aces and two blocks against the host Mustangs.
• Marina Crownover, dished out 40 assists with 11 digs for the double-double outing (39th all-time in Mizzou’s NCAA Tournament history) in her first career NCAA Tournament match vs. Texas State. She then recorded 52 assists with six digs, career-best five blocks and an ace as Mizzou hit .268 as a team in the Second Round against SMU.
• Janet deMarrais chipped in 12 kills, two blocks and a dig at SMU. deMarrais also had nine kills in the First Round win over Texas State. She has posted nine or more kills in four-straight NCAA Tournament matches.
• Maya Sands grabbed 20 digs with two assists vs. Texas State. It marked a personal-best in an NCAA Tournament after opening her career with three-straight nine-dig matches. Her 20 digs rank tied for eighth in program history for an NCAA Tournament match. She then tallied 14 digs with career-best matching four aces and five assists at SMU.
• Kiaraliz Perez Catala added 11 digs and an ace in her first career NCAA Tournament match against Texas State.
• Mizzou had 11 aces at SMU, its second largest total in 2024. It ranks tied for first all-time in MU history for NCAA Tournament matches.
• Mizzou as a team registered a season-best 12 blocks against SMU. It marked the most blocks for the Tigers since 15.0 versus Texas A&M (Nov. 10, 2023). Mizzou’s 12 blocks rank tied for eighth in program history for an NCAA Tournament match.
• Colleen Finney paced the team with a career-best matching seven blocks at SMU to go with four kills and a dig. Her seven blocks rank tied for fourth all-time in Mizzou NCAA Tournament history.
AVCA ALL-REGION TIGERS
• Five Tigers received 2024 AVCA Central All-Region honors, the organization announced Tuesday.
• Mychael Vernon was named the 2024 AVCA Central Region Player of the Year while head coach Dawn Sullivan was tabbed 2024 AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year. Sullivan is the third AVCA Region Coach of the Year in Mizzou program history after Wayne Kreklow picked up the honors in the Southeast Region in 2013 and 2016.
• Vernon along with Jordan Iliff, Maya Sands and Marina Crownover were also listed on the 2024 AVCA Central All-Region and are Mizzou’s 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st AVCA All-Region players in program history (16th, 17th, 18th and 19th AVCA Central All-Region players).
• Mizzou’s four AVCA All-Region honors are the most since 2016 when Melanie Crow, Carly Kan, Kira Larson and Alyssa Munlyn were named to the AVCA Southeast All-Region.
MYCHAEL VERNON
• Outside hitter Mychael Vernon is the first-ever AVCA Central Region Player of the Year in Mizzou history. She was also named to her first career AVCA All-Region Team.
• The graduate student from Ossining, New York, leads the SEC with 493 kills (4.32 kills/set, seventh in the SEC) and is third in the league for points (549.0, 4.82 points/set, eight in the SEC).
• In the NCAA, Vernon ranks 23rd for total kills and 33rd for total points. She has finished in double-digits kills in all but two matches this season (28 of 30) along with 13 double-doubles.
• She registered a career-best 37 kills against Arkansas (Oct. 25) to set a new Mizzou single-match record.
• The 2024 SEC Newcomer of the Year ranked fourth in SEC play with 4.46 kills per set (290 kills) and 4.92 points per set (320.0 points). She was the top newcomer in the SEC for both categories. Vernon was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 30. Vernon has earned conference honors each of the past two seasons as she was named All-Pac-12 as a senior with Oregon State.
JORDAN ILIFF
• Right side hitter Jordan Iliff earned her second-straight AVCA All-Region honors Tuesday.
• The senior from St. Louis, ranks sixth in the SEC for points (524.0, 4.60 points/set, 10th in SEC) and 10th for kills (429, 3.76 kills/set, 11th in SEC).
• She has also recorded a Mizzou single-season record 66 aces which leads the SEC (seventh in the NCAA, 0.58 aces/set, eighth in NCAA).
• Iliff has totaled double-digit kills in all but five matches (25 of 30). She has finished in double-digits offensively in 14 of the last 16 matches.
• Iliff registered a career best 24 kills against Illinois (Sept. 20) and personal best 21 digs vs. Tennessee (Oct. 13).
• She surpassed 1,000 career kills, 500 career digs, 100 career aces and 100 career matches at Mizzou in 2024. Iliff ranks 10th all-time in Mizzou program history for career kills (1,217).
• The back-to-back All-SEC player ranked first in SEC play with 32 aces (0.49 aces/set) for 2024 All-SEC honors. Her career-best nine aces against Texas A&M (Sept. 29) set a new Mizzou single-match record. Iliff was second on Mizzou during SEC play with 231 kills (3.55 kills/set), 158 digs (2.43 digs/set) and 283.0 points (4.35 points/set). She was pegged SEC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 16 & Oct. 14) twice in 2024.
• Iliff was also named to the 2024 SEC Volleyball Community Service Team.
MAYA SANDS
• Libero Maya Sands was named to her second-straight AVCA All-Region Team Tuesday.
• She has registered double-digit digs in all but one match this season. Sands leads the SEC with 4.58 digs per set and is second overall in the league with 522 digs. Her 522 digs rank sixth all-time in Mizzou history.
• Sands compiled a career-best matching 30 digs twice in 2024, against Mississippi State (Oct. 20) and at Arkansas (Oct. 25).
• Sands notched her second career double-double versus MSU (Oct. 20), adding 10 assists to go with her 30 digs.
• The junior from Rock Falls, Illinois, ranked second during the conference slate with 4.49 digs per set (292 digs) to earn SEC Libero of the Year (2024 & 203) and All-SEC honors for the second-straight season. She also had 15 aces in 2024. Sands is the only Tiger to ever earn SEC Libero of the Year, which was first awarded in 2009.
MARINA CROWNOVER
• Setter Marina Crownover was named to her first career AVCA All-Region Team Tuesday.
• The redshirt sophomore ranks third in the SEC with 10.91 assists per set and third in the league with 1,102 assists. In the NCAA, Crownover is 15th for assists per set.
• The Austin, Texas, native, has 11 double-doubles in 2024 after posting 11 digs and 40 assists against Texas State.
• Crownover notched a career best 61 assists and four aces at Arkansas (Oct. 25).
• She surpassed 1,000 career assists in 2024 and has totaled sixteen 40-plus assist matches in 2024. Crownover has dished out 22 or more assists in each of the last 15 matches.
• The 2024 All-SEC selection and three-time SEC Setter of the Week (Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Oct. 28) led the conference in SEC play with 728 assists (11.56 assists/set).
ALL-SEC TIGERS
• Four members of the MU team earned 2024 All-SEC honors; the conference announced Dec. 1. Libero Maya Sands and outside hitter Mychael Vernon highlighted the four Tigers recognized as the duo earned SEC Libero of the Year and SEC Newcomer of the Year, respectively.
• Sands and Vernon were joined on the 2024 All-SEC First Team by right side hitter Jordan Iliff while setter Marina Crownover was tabbed to the 2024 All-SEC Second Team. MU was the only SEC institution to have three First Team performers.
• Mizzou last had four All-SEC selections in 2018 with Alyssa Munlyn, Kylie Deberg, Dariana Hollingsworth-Santana, Leketor Member-Meneh and Andrea Fuentes (All-Freshman).
MIZZOU RESUME
• Missouri is 15-7 against AVCA top-100 teams this season and 11-6 against AVCA top-50 teams.
• Mizzou picked up a five-set win over No. 9 Texas Nov. 1 in Austin, Texas, for the Tigers’ top-25 win.
• MU most recently downed No. 10 ranked and second-seeded SMU in Dallas to advance to the Third Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
• Mizzou went on a nine-match win streak (eight SEC matches) from Oct. 9 to Nov. 10. It marked MU’s longest win streak since 2016 (13 matches, nine SEC matches).
ACE QUEEN
• With four aces at SMU, Jordan Iliff set a new Mizzou single-season record with 66. Shen Danru registered 64 aces in 2002.
• She leads the SEC for aces (seventh in the NCAA, 0.58 aces/set, eighth in NCAA).
• Iliff ranks tied for eighth in Mizzou program history with 122 career service aces. She totaled 45 in 2023 before her etching her name in the Mizzou record books this season.
VOLLEYBALL SIGNS FIVE FOR NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
• Missouri announced Nov. 14 the signing of five student-athletes for National Signing Day. Maca Lobaglio, Paige Felder, Asia Harvey, Ashley Euston, and Zoey Matias have all inked with the Tigers and will head to Missouri ahead of the 2025 campaign.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
• For all the latest information on Mizzou Volleyball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
